shokk



y v UNITED STATES PATENT Orruin.

CHARLES W. SHONK, on CHICAGO, ILLinoIs.

SIGN.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,919, dated January 2 4, 1888. Application filed October28,1887. Serial No. 253,621. (Moder) To aZZ whom/it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W, SHONK, a cltizen' of the United States, residing at Ohicago, 1n the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signs, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates particularly to an improvement in the class of portable signs formed of sheet metal; and my object is to provide a desirable novelty in signs for the trade involving a peculiar construction adapting it to its purpose.

Tov this end my invention consists in the general construction, of my i'mproveddevice; and it still further consists in' details of construction and combinations of parts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fr'ont elevation of the sign before it is bent to a concavoconvex form in accordance with my improvement; Fig. 2, a section taken'on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3, a broken front elevation of the same, showinga modification; Fig.4, a front elevation showing the concavoeonvex form of the sign produced by the permanently-attached rear brace; Fig. 5, a section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig.4,viewed in the direction or the arrows, and illustrating by dotted lines a modification; Fig. 6, a section taken on the line6 6 of Fig. 4, viewed in the direction of i the arrows, showing the sign as vertical by the full lines, withthe sheet-metal brace in its original position for shipment of the article, and showing by dotted lines the position of the sign when supported bythe leg bent to form the support; and Fig. 7, a view in elevation' of the form of sheet-metal brace I prefer to employ. i

' A is a sign formed of a thin metal sheet,

which may be suitably ornamented by japanning and scroll-work or the like, and preferably of dimensions to render the sign readily port-able, (in fact, my improved device is intended, principally, as a small article to rest upon a table, counter, or show-window floor,

or to be suspended in a show-window and having its lateral edges rolled forward, as shown-that is, toward the face of the sign-- or backward, if preferred. The rolling of the edges produces hollow cylindrical strengthening-beads r, which ornament the device, be-

sides -protecting its edges against disfigure ment by bending, to whichf'owing to the ordinarily extreme thinness of the metal, it is the upper edge in Fig. 3, to. produce hollow,

cylindrical beaded edges 1%, and otherforms of beads for strengthening and ornamentingv I the edges of the sheet may be provided with j out departing from the spiritof my invention;

B is the brace, of flexible sheet metal, but

stiffer than that forming the sign proper, par

ticularly if the latter shall be of the very thin variety referred to, and comprisingthe crosspiece p, having its opposite edges rolled like the lateral edges of the sign to produce the hollow cylindrical beads 1-, and adapted to fit over the latter, as. shown, if the edges-of the sign are rolled forward,which is the preferred construction, or inside, if rolled'backward' The cross-piece p is preferably shorterthan the width of the sign, so that, to apply the beads vr'to the beads r, whichis accomplished I by sliding them upon the latter from an'end of the sign, it will be necessary to produce the desired coincidence of .t'he'parts r andrto bend the sign longitudinally intoa concavoconvex form, in which it is maintained by the cross-piece p when adjusted, and which is permanently secured in position-by means of riv-' ets 0, passed through 'thebeads rand 1" and secured, and of an ornamental kind, if desired, or by any other convenient means that will serve to secure the cross-piece inposition against removal. If the cross-piece shall be of the same or substantially the same width as the sign proper, the latter may be maintained in its curved or concavo-convex condition by first adjusting the cross-piece and then bending or curving it toward the back of the sign,

to which it may be permanently secured at or near its center, all as indicated by thedotted lines in Fig. 5, by riveting, or in any other As the material of the' cross-piece is stiffer than that comprising the suitable man ner.

sign, the former will obviously maintain the latter in its longitudinally-bowed condition.

at A leg, n, extends from the lower edge of the cross-piece p, with which itis integral, and

which, consequently, is composed of sheet metal, and it is preferably of a form flaring V toward its extremity to extend toward its lower edge transversely across the rear side of the sign nearly to the opposite edges of the latter, whereby, when in' the original or normally-straight condition illustrated by the full lines in Fig. 6, it forms,with the crosspiece p, aflat back for the sign, extending from the lower edge of the latter a considerable dis-' tance toward the upper edge thereof,whereby the signs may be packed for shipment in pairs backto back and present opposing broad surfaces of contact. The flaring form of the leg n is not, however, for the obvious reason that the fiat back would be afi'orded by any other suitable form, vitally important. WVhile the brace B, thus also forming a back, is in its original or a straight condition, the sign may be supported by suspending it with a cord or the like passed through the orifice m, near the top; and if the device is intended for use only as a hanging sign the leg-portion of the brace need not be provided. To support the sign in the desired inclined position on a fiat base table, counter, or the like-the log n is bent back to the desired angle of inclination from its line of junction with the cross-piece p, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 6.

JV-hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A sign comprising, in combination, a sheet of metal provided with beaded edges and having the character-matter permanently and directly upon its surface and bent to a concavo-convex form, and a brace permanently secured to the metal sheet to extend transversely of the bend therein across its rear side and operating to maintain the concavo-convex form, substantially as described.

2. A sign formed of sheet metal having beaded edges and bent to a eoncavo-convex form and provided with a rear brace, B, comprising a cross-piece, p, permanently secured to the sign and operating to maintain the concavo-convex form thereof, and a leg, n,the leg and cross-piece affording also a, flat back, sub stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A sign formed of sheet metal bent to a concave-convex fornnhaving its lateral edges rolled into the form of hollow cylinders, affording ornamental strengthening-beads r, and pro- V vided with a rear brace,B, comprising a crosspiece, 1), shorter than the width of the sign, having its lateral edges rolled into the form of hollow cylinders r, to fit the rolled lateral edges of the sign, and permanently secured to the said sign, and a flaring leg, at, thesaidleg and crosspicce affording also a flat back, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A sign formed of sheet metal bent to a concavoconvex form, having its lateral edges rolled toward the face of the sign into the form of hollow cylinders, affording ornamental strengthening-beads r, and provided with a rear brace, B, comprising a crosspiece, 1), shorter than the width of the sign, having its lateral edges rolled into the form of hollow cylinders r, to fit over the rolled lateral edges of the sign, and permanently secured at the parts 1" to the lateral beads 1', and a flaring leg, 72, the said leg and cross-piece afi'ording also a flat back, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES V. SHONK.

In presence of- J. W. DYRENFORTI-I, CHAS. E. GAYLORD. 

